Current exhibition

This exhibition looks at the common manufacturing processes used in the production of plastics products with each case comparing tooling costs, production volume, the types of materials commonly used, and the tell-tale marks left behind during manufacture.

Before your visit to MoDiP please check for any planned closures advertised on the visiting us page.

MoDiP collection

The MoDiP collection offers a wide spectrum of objects, from the 19th, 20th & 21st centuries, which illustrate the role of plastics against social and historical contexts.

Horners collection

Visiting MoDiP

MoDiP is open to the public and we welcome individual and group visits.

The museum is on the first floor of the Arts University Bournemouth library and can be accessed via a lift. For more information about coming to the museum for a visit, to do research, or have a group session, click on the link below.

MoDiP Blog

In celebration of National Dog Day the other week, here are a few of my favourite doggy themed objects from the collections:Designed by Eero Aarnio for Magis in 2003, this polyethylene children’s stool glows in the dark. Fabulous.1. Glow puppy, AIBDC : 006725 Made of phenol formaldehyde, this unfinished cast dates to the 1930s.2. Dachshund knife stand, AIBDC : 007044This…

We were very saddened to hear of the recent death of a long-standing friend and supporter of MoDiP, Jen Cruse. Jen was the author of ‘The Comb: Its history and development’, copies of which can be found in the MoDiP library collection. It is a beautifully illustrated and thorough investigation into the history, design and production of the comb, some examples of which are in the MoDiP…

My name is Vanessa Pearson, and I graduated from my degree in Modelmaking at AUB this summer. I spent my final year working on a few interesting projects, one of which was a facial reconstruction of an Ancient Egyptian mummy for the Bournemouth Natural Science Society (BNSS). Although the final reconstruction was cast in silicone for a realistic skin appearance on display, 3D printing played a…

Renowned industrial designer, A H ‘Woody’ Woodfull, stated in 1959 that ‘the designer must have a wide range of working knowledge of industrial processes of all kinds.’
By understanding manufacturing processes, designers can make the best decisions for their application. They must ask themselves key questions: What material do I want to use? How many products do I want to make? How much do I…

In 2018 Collins dictionary declared ‘single-use’ as the word of the year. They define the term as describing items whose unchecked proliferation are blamed for damaging the environment:
Single-use refers to products – often plastic – that are ‘made to be used once only’ before disposal. Images of plastic adrift in the most distant oceans, such as straws, bottles, and bags have led to a…